Payoffs of a Univeristy of Maryland education

With only 29 percent of college graduates finding jobs within their major, according to the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the outlook for college graduates looks dim. However, studies show that students at the University of Maryland have a competitive edge after graduation.

Seventy-two percent of University of Maryland graduates are working jobs related to their major, according to the university’s career center.

There are financial benefits, as well. Compared to this university’s Big Ten rivals, University of Maryland graduates make close to $8,000 more annually, according to the U.S. Department of Education. They also make an average of $25,000 more per year than other working men and women with only a high school diploma.

University of Maryland’s financial aid and debt status. Courtesy of College Scorecard.

Junior anthropology major Molly Dana feels prepared and confident entering the unpredictable job market in a few years. During her time at this university, she feels she has grown into a “more confident and mature individual” with more knowledge about what she wants to pursue in the future. She attributes most of her success to the opportunities and internships she has been able to have, especially in the Washington, D.C., area, that were only possible because of her enrollment at the university.

Recent graduate Klara Knezevic could not be more thankful for the education she received from the university. As a dietetics major, Knezevic was worried that she would not be able to complete the necessary internship required to become a dietitian after graduation

Knezevic said “the national match rate for an internship is 50 percent but luckily for a Maryland graduate the average is much higher, around 78 percent or so.”

Knezevic said that she believes that the reason University of Maryland students are more successful than other universities after graduation is because there are so many alumnae that have managerial positions and are “motivated to hire other Maryland students.”

A University of Maryland education has more than just financial benefits, said university alumnus and assistant director of student conduct James Bond.

“[The university provides a] safe environment to explore yourself and the world,” Bond said. “A place to try and fail while still being supported.”